Walker: Republicans Should Focus on Shared Beliefs

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Friday that Republicans will find success by emphasizing their shared values and focusing less on the issues that separate them.

Speaking to Newsmax TV, Walker said Republicans such as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who may have beliefs that aren’t shared universally across the party, should be considered by all Republicans as allies.

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“Reagan said, ‘You know what you call someone who agrees with you 80 percent of the time? Your ally,’” he said. “And in this case, it would be more like 90-95 percent of the time. We’ll be in trouble if you focus on divisions. We should focus on shared beliefs.”

While much has been said of the soul searching that’s gone on in the Republican Party following the 2012 presidential loss, Walker said the key to the party’s future is positioning Republican ideas as more relevant and optimistic.

“The people I talk to talk about how their kid’s school is performing, how their neighbor doesn’t have a job, and whether their kids will have a future with all this debt the nation has,” he said.

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Walker praised Rep. Paul Ryan, saying he understands a key challenge for Republicans is discussing political issues in a way that also emphasizes a positive future for the country.

“Paul Ryan has demonstrated the ability to go beyond just being a member of Congress. His budgets articulate a positive approach to solutions. We need more leaders like that at the federal level,” Walker said.

Asked about the decision by some Republican governors to expand their Medicaid programs to comply with the Affordable Care Act, Walker said those kinds of decisions are ones that call for different choices based on a particular state and its needs.

“One of the mistakes governors have made is looking at it as all or none. We look at it as a larger discussion in terms of what’s the role of government,” Walker said. “The president wants to measure success based on how many people are dependent on government. We do the opposite because we want to empower people to have prosperity, which leads to freedom for all.”